As the temperature rises and summer comes into full swing, we often find our homes invaded by birds. While they may seem harmless, they can cause a great deal of damage and unsanitary conditions if left unchecked. Understanding the common ways birds enter your home and taking proper precautions is essential to protecting your Whitby home. From open windows to damaged vents, birds can find ways to sneak into your home where you least expect them.
In this blog post, our experts at Skedaddle discuss the most common bird entry points and provide specific summer bird-proofing tips. Whether you are dealing with a current infestation or looking to prevent one from happening, we have the information you need to protect your home.
Understanding Bird Habits and Behaviour in Summer
Birds are incredibly intelligent animals with complex behaviours. These behaviours often influence their actions and decisions, especially during the warmer months of summer. The quest for food, water, shelter, and safe nesting sites can lead them directly to your home.
Seeking Shelter
During the hot summer days, birds actively seek shelter from the scorching sun and your home, with its cool shady spots, can appear as the perfect sanctuary. Eaves, decking, supple ductwork, and loose siding offer coveted resting and nesting spots.
Nesting Habits
Summer is often the breeding season for many species, and what better place to raise their fledglings than the safety of your home? Birds often find safe, cozy spots between walls, under roof tiles, attics, and garages to construct their nests. This can often result in a full-fledged infestation, even without your immediate realization.
Foraging for Food
These animals are opportunistic foragers who are continuously on the hunt for tasty morsels. Your home, and specifically your kitchen, is potentially a goldmine of food for these hungry animals, all the more if they can find easy access and egress routes.
Enthusiastic Explorers
Believe it or not, curiosity is also a key bird attribute. They are known to be enthusiastic explorers, keen to investigate new spaces. This leads them to explore chimneys, vents, and even windows, potentially resulting in a home invasion.
Understanding these behaviours can be key in comprehensively protecting your home and preventing a summer avian invasion. Our team can use this understanding to provide customized, humane, and effective removal solutions.
Common Entry Points in Your Home
Knowing how birds can get into your home is crucial for effective protection over the summer. Here are several common entry points that you should keep an eye on:
Open Windows and Doors
Open windows and doors are an open invitation. They offer an easy route into your home, allowing birds to enter and exit freely. They will see open windows and doors as an opportunity to find food, water, shelter, and a place to build their nest.
Roof and Gutter Damage
Damage to your roof and gutter system can create an open entry into your home. Birds, particularly those who are nesting, are attracted to the warmth and safety that attics and roofs offer.
Ventilation Systems
In many homes, the ventilation system, including the dryer vent, kitchen exhaust vent, and bathroom fan vent, can become an ideal entry point. Small birds are particularly adept at squeezing through these spaces and making them their home.
Chimneys
Your chimney is like a large open door. It’s an attractive nesting spot, particularly during the summer when they are breeding. Chimney caps can offer protection against this, so considering one if you don’t have it yet is highly advised.
Protecting Your Property: Bird-Proofing Techniques
Creating a bird-proof home doesn’t have to be difficult. With the right techniques and a proactive mindset, you can secure your Whitby property.
Regular Home Inspections
Staying ahead of the game with regular home inspections is perhaps the first line of defence. Look for potential openings or damages in your roof, gutters, vents, and chimneys. Inspect your home’s exterior, checking for loose siding or decayed wood where birds can easily create nests. Also, pay careful attention to the areas under your eaves and decking, as these are preferred spots for many species to rest and build nests.
Fixing Damages Promptly
Quick repairs are key to keeping birds at bay. If any damages or potential entry points are discovered during your home inspections, make sure to schedule repairs immediately. This could involve sealing gaps, repairing siding, or fixing damages to your roof and gutter system. Prioritizing these repairs will deter birds from occupying your home. Do remember that some species are protected by law, so always consult with a wildlife control expert to avoid illegal disruption or demolition of nests.
Invest in Deterrents
Investing in deterrents such as spikes, decals, or motion-activated devices can effectively dissuade birds from entering your home. These deterrents may discourage birds from perching or nesting on your property. However, these must be used properly to remain humane and cause no harm.
Proper Waste Management
How you manage waste can significantly influence the bird population around your home. Regularly and correctly dispose of your trash, make sure to secure the lid on your garbage can, and clean up after any outdoor meals or barbecues.
Consider Professional Help
If you are still struggling with an infestation, do not hesitate to reach out to professional wildlife control services. We provide humane wildlife removal services, led by experienced technicians who are trained in the safe and effective removal of birds along with repairing and securing your home.
Humane Bird Removal in Whitby With Skedaddle
At Skedaddle, we understand the challenges bird invasions can pose to homeowners across Whitby. Our removal methods are scientifically grounded, humane, and efficient. We apply our in-depth knowledge of habitat and behaviour, relying on techniques that ensure both your family’s welfare and the birds’ safety.
Skedaddle’s Wildlife Control Process
Our wildlife technicians are highly trained in handling bird invasions, and they follow a time-proven process:
- Assessment: We conduct comprehensive home inspections to detect entry points and assess the scale of the invasion.
- Removal: Once the assessment is completed, our technicians compassionately remove the birds from your property. Where nesting exists, we ensure the safe retrieval of fledglings, taking them into care until they can be released back to the wild.
- Exclusion: After successful removal, we take key actions to reinforce bird-proofing measures. These may include fitting chimney caps, sealing vents, and repairing any identified gaps or openings.
- Prevention: We help you lay out a plan for preventing future invasions, counselling on the need for regular checks and necessary home repairs.
We know removing birds may seem simple, but there is more to this task than meets the eye. Sparrows and starlings are known to return to nesting sites year after year. This is why our techniques go beyond removal. We focus on bird-proofing your home to ward off future invasions.
Benefits of Professional Removal
From mitigating health risks to preventing property damage, there are several reasons why seeking professional removal services is beneficial:
- Health Hazards: Birds can carry diseases, and parasites, and their droppings often contain pathogens. Professionals can prevent these health risks from infiltrating your home.
- Property Damage: Birds can cause notable property damage, from pecking at wood to nest building. Professional removal helps safeguard your property value.
- Safe and Humane: Any removal must be done humanely. At Skedaddle, we adhere strictly to humane removal standards to ensure the safety of the animals involved.
Here at Skedaddle, we always prioritize your safety and comfort while caring for the welfare of the birds. By choosing us, you rest easy knowing that you’re partnering with a trusted, environmentally conscious, and humane wildlife control service provider in Whitby. Do not hesitate to reach out and let us get rid of those birds for you.